Lesson
by Mr. Jengablock
Summary: Kabuto pokes at Naruto's unrequited crush and gets an unexpected affirmation in return.


It wasn't a very bad sprain, Naruto had thought, and he had told his team as much. Sakura's face was still roughed up and her hair stuck up at the back like Sasuke's which made him want to punch that bastard. But that bastard wasn't walking right, either, and he could see that terrified face with Sharing spinning wild in his mind's eye.

So he told them all it would heal up in no time and he'd be back on his feet. Thirty minutes, tops.

Well, now he was thinking that maybe more of an hour would have been better. He shifted his weight as subtly as he could off his foot. He grit his teeth as he walked to keep from gasping every time it connected with the spongy earth and sent a jolt of hot white agony up his leg. Pain, resilience, more pain. It was a cycle he was used to by now, so he didn't let it bother him.

Sasuke and Sakura appeared unbothered as well. He'd done lots of silly things and gotten lots of stupid injuries around them–and he always made it out like it wasn't that bad. Then he got up in a few minutes and seemed fine. They counted on Naruto's tenacity, and he didn't want to prove them wrong _now_ of all times.

So he kept going, pain and all. He tried to keep his steps measured and consistent like they always were, but Sasuke and Sakura probably wouldn't have noticed if he jumped up and down screaming bloody murder. Each seemed off in their own world, faces swimming with dark thoughts and worries he couldn't even guess at.

He assumed they were focused on the Second Task and the frankly bizarre battle they'd just come out of.

(Or, well, came out of a day or so ago. He'd apparently been unconscious during that part.)

Naruto strained to look at Sasuke's neck, but his stupid collar was way too big.

Sasuke probably thought he hadn't seen it—that black, swirling mark climbing up and zigzagging down his body like it was a particularly nasty vine reaching into the cracks of the walls in his apartment, trying to take over. He'd never seen anything like it.

He felt uneasy about it. Something wasn't right.

"Ow!"

The yelp of pain broke Naruto from his thoughts, and he and the rest of Team 7 spun to see Kabuto knelt on the ground, clutching his head.

"Kabuto-san!" Sakura called, at the same time Naruto sprinted to his side, crouching to get a look at the older boy's face.

Naruto was reaching for Kabuto's hands before he even knew why, and only when he gripped the genin's wrists did he realize he was trying to pull his hands away from his face to check for a wound or blood or check his pupils or something because maybe he'd gotten hit harder than he thought?

Naruto felt the beginning of panic setting in. They couldn't lose their only uninjured ally _now._ Not when Sasuke was on the fritz and Sakura looked like she was gonna blow away in a strong breeze and his _chakra was not cooperating even worse than normal and it HURT him to move it like molasses through his body when it was usually a rapids and his_ body _was_ just not _cooperating!_

Kabuto surprised Naruto by twisting his hand so their fingers were intertwined, gripping Naruto's like his life depended on it. Reflexively, Naruto squeezed back. Reassurance. It was going to be okay. He'd figure out what was wrong and he'd beat the shit out of it.

"Ye-yes, I'm… I guess I took a harder blow than I thought. This headache is just getting worse and worse and my vision is blurry. I'm-I'm sorry, you should go on without me."

Naruto's face twisted up. "Don't be stupid! We're not leaving you here-ttebayo!"

Kabuto looked shocked. Then, slowly, he offered him a grateful smile.

"Don't worry, Kabuto-san, I'll find some herbs for that headache!"

Ah, Sakura was so smart, Naruto thought, feeling a little starry-eyed. She always knew what to do.

In a slightly subdued way that didn't suit her at all, Sakura said warily, "Sasuke-kun? Would you mind coming with me?"

Sasuke looked like he wanted to snap out something biting but ended up snapping his mouth shut instead. He furrowed his brow. Eventually, he gave a small grunt of assent.

With an admonishing "Keep guard, Naruto!", they slipped off though the trees.

"Yeah, yeah, 'course," Naruto replied. He dropped to the ground, gratefully taking his weight off his ankle. Through the throbbing, he tried to stay alert and scan the trees.

This wasn't good. This was really bad.

"You've been walking badly for a while."

Naruto blinked at the teenager.

"You're putting on a brave face for them, right?" The older genin whispered. "I don't know what happened to you guys before I showed up, but it must have been pretty bad."

Naruto eyed him warily.

Kabuto's smile became sheepish. "I'm not really all that injured, though I _do_ have a headache. I was actually worried about _you_. Can you let me see that ankle?"

Naruto's cheeks went red. He was worried about him? He'd seen right through him. Even in the dim light on the forest floor, he could see that the skin was turning purple and swelling. He reached down to peal the sandal off.

He hissed at the unexpected flash of pain. Oh, _oh_ , that was not _good_.

It looked like walking on it had been a stupid idea.

Kabuto sucked in a breath. "That looks really bad, Naruto-kun."

Naruto forced a chuckle through a grimacing smile. "Don't worry about me, Kabuto, I'm fine! A little turned ankle never held down Uzumaki Naruto!"

Kabuto's ducked his head down a little, like he was embarrassed, but his eyes flicked up to stare at Naruto, up over the rim of his glasses. He was biting his lip like he trying not to smile. And why was Naruto staring at Kabuto's lip?

Naruto's face felt oddly hot.

Kabuto threw a surreptitious glance around to ensure they were alone and then made a few quick hand seals. His chakra flooded into his hands and suffused Naruto's senses. It was concentrated so densely that Naruto could even _see_ it, a faint minty color that reminded him of herbs. His nose twitched and his hair stood on end.

Kabuto _touched_ Naruto's ankle, gently prodding the swelling skin, before wrapping his fingers around it. It was feather light and careful, Naruto couldn't feel anything but brushes, and that slick-wet-cool feeling of his chakra sliding across the skin. Kabuto didn't break eye contact with Naruto, eyes glinting mischievously behind his lenses.

Naruto shuddered. This was _way_ too familiar for a guy he'd just met. Naruto wasn't big on personal space but some things were a little too much and _oh god his chakra was sinking into the skin Naruto could feel it right down to the_ ** _bone_** **.** It murmured against his own chakra, sliding around it as easily as a river in a mountain.

Naruto could feel his blood rushing to his face. He couldn't quite manage to say 'what the hell are you doing!?' and in fact only got out a thick-tongued "Ah-ha?"

Kabuto's smile shone like a blade in sunlight.

"I'm not as good as my father, but I know some medical jutsu. Let me help you out a bit."

The echoing of his words from the beginning of the exam caused an unexpected release of tension, somewhere between his back and ribs, and Naruto had to catch himself on his arms as he fell backward slightly.

Kabuto raised an eyebrow in question.

Naruto shook his head vigorously.

"Me-medical jutsu?"

"Mmm," Kabuto hummed deep in his throat. A shudder went through Naruto. "It's a difficult technique. I've spent most of my time on it and neglected my other skills, I'm sorry to say. I guess I wanted my father to be proud of me."

The older boy blushed and the skin around Naruto's eyes was just so uncomfortably _hot_.

"I—I'm an orphan," Kabuto admitted, head ducked and eyes now focused on Naruto's ankle. "He took me in and cared for me. I just, I just…"

He let out a shaky breath. With the hand not wrapped around Naruto's ankle, he rubbed the arch of Naruto's foot. It sent electric sparks up through Naruto's body.

Almost too quiet to be heard: "I just wanted to give something back."

"AH!" Naruto gasped suddenly.

Kabuto's head shot up, eyes widening in reflexive alarm, already searching for an enemy in the direction Naruto's eyes had snapped to. He had good reflexes, better than Naruto, for sure.

"I! I think he's probably really super proud of you! My-my ankle feels better already! You're super good at this! And! And! You're really kind! And you're a super good shinobi-ttebayo!"

Kabuto's muscles loosened slowly. Naruto watched the powerful twitch of his arms just under the white sleeves. He felt weak.

His whole face was on fire.

 _God,_ had he really said that, how _stupid_!

But Kabuto didn't look like he thought what Naruto said was stupid. He looked like…well, like he didn't know what to think. His face was frozen in the picture of disbelief it had taken on when Naruto had started speaking. His mouth hung open slightly, his glasses were falling down his nose, slick with sweat in the hot Fire-country evening.

It was that time before night where the temperature dropped just enough that the humidity felt like a warm blanket wrapped around them. Like a wall keeping everything out, and Naruto suddenly felt so safe in this boy's hands that he wanted to yell at himself because Iruka-sensei would have been disappointed because _every shinobi is a potential enemy in the field! keep your eyes open for suspicious activity!_

And yet, he also felt an electric friction between them that made his skin prickle and his muscles twitch and _ache_ like he needed to stretch out or run away or something and he felt so off balance and uncomfortable that he wondered how these two feelings could coexist in one space, in one person, at one time. He felt like his breathing was labored, like he'd run a hundred laps around the village for punishment or something.

He couldn't keep his eyes on Kabuto's face, but he couldn't look away. His eyes wandered from his face, to his hair, to his hands (still wrapped around his ankle and foot and holding him almost _tenderly_ and that was so, so _weird_ ), and back to his face, then to his weapons pouch, or his shoulder, and then his face and

And Kabuto's face thawed, suddenly, ice cracking and melting and his eyes warmed like spring. His mouth closed and curled up at the edges. But all that freezing must have been a lot of work because his eyelids drooped ever so slightly and his eyebrows dropped like they were tired.

Kabuto was smiling warmly at Naruto.

Kabuto was _smiling_. At _Naruto_.

Naruto's breath hitched, and his body quivered and he felt like he was gonna cry, or scream, but the tension drained out of his body and he felt so relaxed. Some question had existed before now and it was answered and he was so _relieved,_ like when he took a test and didn't know anything but he handed it in and it was _over_.

Kabuto's thumb rubbed up the side of Naruto's leg, just a bit.

 _"Thank you, Naruto."_

There was a rustle of undergrowth and Kabuto's hands were suddenly gone.

Sakura and Sasuke were returning, bunches of green clenched in their fists. He hopped up to congratulate Sakura on a job well done (and glare at Sasuke for spending time with her).

Naruto's ankle had never felt better.


End file.
